


i’m fine, borderline

by svladcjelli



Category: 11.22.63 (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Sickfic, i just want someone to be nice to bill for once, look okay, lookin at you jake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24197296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svladcjelli/pseuds/svladcjelli
Summary: While living in Jodie, Bill falls a bit under the weather.
Relationships: Jake Epping/Bill Turcotte
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	i’m fine, borderline

**Author's Note:**

> oh god round 2 here we go.., its 3am as im writin this yikes oh boy man i just want bill to be held. just let him. welcome back to me abslutely HATING jake epping but wanting someone to hold bill!! hope u enjoy!! :) title from “basic” by declan mckenna!!

“Christ, are you always that pale?”

They were sitting in chairs across each other while listening to tape playbacks. Or, in other terms, any other fucking day because that’s all they ever seemed to do. Today, though, Bill had been feeling off but paid no mind to it. He was probably just tired anyway, the days seemed to stretch longer than they ever did before. 

“Yeah, jus’ tired.”

Jake reached across the gap between their chairs to feel Bill’s forehead with the back of his hand. It might've just been the lighting in the room, Bill thought, the colours from the sunset bouncing off the hardwood. 

“Doesn’t seem like it when your forehead feels like a furnace.”

Bill was a bit too dazed to think about what Jake was saying, too distracted by his pretty face to respond 

“Bill?”

He took a short moment to register his name being said

”I'm fine.”

Jake sighed.

”Alright, that’s it. You’re going to bed.”

”We’ve got work to do, though, don’t we? It’s all you ever say about savin' the president or somethin'.”

”You’re not much help when you keep spacing out like that.”

Bill couldn’t protest, but he wanted to and he definitely would if his head didn’t feel so fuzzy. 

"Go on, then." 

"Fuck you, Jake." 

He grumbled, shimmed out of his flannel and kicked off his shoes all while sitting on the edge of the bed while Jake was still scribbling words down in their notebook. Without distraction, Bill started to notice the way his hands wouldn't stop trembling and the shivers that wracked his body. He crawled beneath the covers to lie on his side, bringing the duvet up to his face just enough to still be able to watch Jake. He fell asleep faster than he ever had, the bone-aching exhaustion finally setting in. 

Bill woke up to Jake pulling the duvet off his sweat-drenched body but he was cold, too cold and God it was so cold it hurt, please Jake please please please it's too cold and- 

"Your brain's gonna melt if your temperature gets higher."

He groaned out of pain or annoyance, it might've been a mixture of the two but good Lord he was cold. He brought his knees to his chest trying to reserve any warmth he could, just before Jake tried to help sit him up. 

"C'mon, I ran to the store to get whatever meds they had. Not a lot by the way, I didn't know the selection was so bad in the 60's." 

Bill tried to scoff, but the best he could manage was a congested huff. His head swam as he began sitting up and became suddenly aware of the way every muscle in his body ached. He'd complain if there wasn't a massive pounding in his head that clouded every thought that came to mind. 

Once he was upright, Jake made him swallow two white-ish tablets before shoving a glass of water in his hands to get rid of the bitter aftertaste. He drank it graciously (though it made his stomach feel a bit sick) and gave the empty glass back to Jake who set it on the desk near the bed. Jake sat on the edge right next to Bill who was uncharacteristically silent. 

Bill's hair was matted with cold sweat, his body trembled, and his eyes had a glassy look Jake had never seen before. 

"I've never seen you this sick before." 

Bill laughed but it sounded choked, like something was caught in his throat. 

"Fuck you too, then." 

Jake smiled. Bill lied back down and Jake kicked off his shoes and tie to spoon Bill. It wasn't ideal nor comfortable with the amount of heat Bill's body radiated, but it would have to do. 

The second time Bill woke up, his heart was thumping like he had run a marathon and his throat felt raw. He didn't know the time, but he assumed an early hour in the morning by the absence of light in the room. 

"Bill! Bill, pipe down or you're gonna wake the neighbours!" 

He felt Jake's hands on him and everything seemed to slow. He looked around, taking a moment to register that he was safe in Jodie. Jake lessened his grip around Bill the moment he relaxed in his arms, back to feeling hazy. It wasn't as bad because the massive headache finally left and his limbs no longer felt like they were made of lead. 

"You were screaming." 

Bill's breaths were still coming in soft pants, the adrenaline finally coming down. 

"Screamin' 'bout what?" 

Jake paused but Bill knew the answer. 

"Clara." 

It went quiet between them and Bill felt like he was going to cry. But he couldn't, he couldn't look weak in front of Jake, he couldn't. Instead, he snuggled closer to Jake than he ever did. Jake who was from the future and Jake who could protect him. 

He was safe.

Jake didn't know how long they rested like that until Bill spoke through the silence with a hoarse voice that still managed to carry his Kentucky charm. 

"I love you, I think." 

In the dark, Jake smiled to himself. 

"I love you too." 

**Author's Note:**

> oh man i hope this was ok!!!! as always big thank you for reading!!


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